The Domino Effect in Fiction

Domino, also called dominoes or aces, is a game played with a set of flat rectangular blocks whose ends are marked with one to six spots or pips arranged as on a dice. The game has many variations, but the basic premise is to play each domino so that it “touches” or is matched with another domino whose end is identically or reciprocally numbered to the original tile (or domino card). The resulting chains develop into snake-line patterns as the players move their tiles across and around each other, depending on their choices of strategy and the limitations of their playing surfaces.

Aside from being a fun and interesting family activity, Domino is a great tool for teaching children the benefits of concentration. They need to patiently stack the coloured dominoes until they reach the height of their imagination. The concentration needed to accomplish this task will help them later in their education in other subjects.

In fiction, the domino effect is a metaphor for how small events can have huge consequences and lead to an unstoppable chain reaction. It’s important that authors consider the domino effect when plotting their stories. Whether you’re a pantser who writes off the cuff or uses outlines and Scrivener to structure your manuscript, scenes should be linked together so that they create tension and make sense in the context of the story. For example, if your heroine uncovers an important clue in scene 1, but in the next scene the opposition does nothing to raise that tension, something’s wrong. The scene may be logical in its own right, but it needs to build upon what came before it.

Likewise, if your hero takes an action that most readers would consider immoral, you’ll need to provide the logic that gives readers permission to either give it a pass or at least keep liking him as a hero. This can be done by placing other characters in the scene who will act as moral support. This is often referred to as a “domino cascade.”

Domino is also used as a business model and is widely known for its delivery service. In order to stay competitive, Domino’s has emphasized a culture of listening and acting on customer feedback. This line of communication also extends to its employees, allowing them to be involved in the decision making process. This has led to a number of innovative new ways for customers to order pizza, such as through text messaging and Amazon Echo. These types of initiatives have been a big part of why Domino’s has been such a successful company in the recent past. They’ve stuck to their core values, like “Champion Our Customers,” and the result has been an impressive record of success. This type of leadership is the best way to ensure the future of any company.